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Siddi S, Bailon R, Giné-Vázquez I, Matcham F, Lamers F, Kontaxis S, Laporta E, Garcia E, Lombardini F, Annas P, Hotopf M, Penninx BWJH, Ivan A, White KM, Difrancesco S, Locatelli P, Aguiló J, Peñarrubia-Maria MT, Narayan VA, Folarin A, Leightley D, Cummins N, Vairavan S, Ranjan Y, Rintala A, de Girolamo G, Simblett SK, Wykes T, Myin-Germeys I, Dobson R, Haro JM. The usability of daytime and night-time heart rate dynamics as digital biomarkers of depression severity. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3249-3260. [PMID: 37184076 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alterations in heart rate (HR) may provide new information about physiological signatures of depression severity. This 2-year study in individuals with a history of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) explored the intra-individual variations in HR parameters and their relationship with depression severity. METHODS Data from 510 participants (Number of observations of the HR parameters = 6666) were collected from three centres in the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, as a part of the remote assessment of disease and relapse-MDD study. We analysed the relationship between depression severity, assessed every 2 weeks with the Patient Health Questionnaire-8, with HR parameters in the week before the assessment, such as HR features during all day, resting periods during the day and at night, and activity periods during the day evaluated with a wrist-worn Fitbit device. Linear mixed models were used with random intercepts for participants and countries. Covariates included in the models were age, sex, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption, antidepressant use and co-morbidities with other medical health conditions. RESULTS Decreases in HR variation during resting periods during the day were related with an increased severity of depression both in univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean HR during resting at night was higher in participants with more severe depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that alterations in resting HR during all day and night are associated with depression severity. These findings may provide an early warning of worsening depression symptoms which could allow clinicians to take responsive treatment measures promptly.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Siddi
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Bailon
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Centros de investigación biomédica en red en el área de bioingeniería, biomateriales y nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - I Giné-Vázquez
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Matcham
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - F Lamers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Kontaxis
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Centros de investigación biomédica en red en el área de bioingeniería, biomateriales y nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - E Laporta
- Centros de investigación biomédica en red en el área de bioingeniería, biomateriales y nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - E Garcia
- Centros de investigación biomédica en red en el área de bioingeniería, biomateriales y nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
- Microelectrónica y Sistemas Electrónicos, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, CIBERBBN, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Lombardini
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Annas
- H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | - M Hotopf
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - B W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A Ivan
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - K M White
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - S Difrancesco
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P Locatelli
- Department of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - J Aguiló
- Centros de investigación biomédica en red en el área de bioingeniería, biomateriales y nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
- Microelectrónica y Sistemas Electrónicos, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, CIBERBBN, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M T Peñarrubia-Maria
- Catalan Institute of Health, Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAP Jordi Gol), CIBERESP, Barcelona, Spain
| | - V A Narayan
- Research and Development Information Technology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - A Folarin
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - D Leightley
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - N Cummins
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - S Vairavan
- Research and Development Information Technology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - Y Ranjan
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - A Rintala
- Department for Neurosciences, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Social Services and Health Care, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lahti, Finland
| | - G de Girolamo
- IRCCS Instituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - S K Simblett
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - T Wykes
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - I Myin-Germeys
- Department for Neurosciences, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - R Dobson
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - J M Haro
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Stephan-Otto C, Núñez C, Lombardini F, Cambra-Martí MR, Ochoa S, Senior C, Brébion G. Neurocognitive bases of self-monitoring of inner speech in hallucination prone individuals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6251. [PMID: 37069194 PMCID: PMC10110610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32042-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia patients might be seen as internal verbal productions mistaken for perceptions as a result of over-salient inner speech and/or defective self-monitoring processes. Similar cognitive mechanisms might underpin verbal hallucination proneness in the general population. We investigated, in a non-clinical sample, the cerebral activity associated with verbal hallucinatory predisposition during false recognition of familiar words -assumed to stem from poor monitoring of inner speech-vs. uncommon words. Thirty-seven healthy participants underwent a verbal recognition task. High- and low-frequency words were presented outside the scanner. In the scanner, the participants were then required to recognize the target words among equivalent distractors. Results showed that verbal hallucination proneness was associated with higher rates of false recognition of high-frequency words. It was further associated with activation of language and decisional brain areas during false recognitions of low-, but not high-, frequency words, and with activation of a recollective brain area during correct recognitions of low-, but not high-, frequency words. The increased tendency to report familiar words as targets, along with a lack of activation of the language, recollective, and decisional brain areas necessary for their judgement, suggests failure in the self-monitoring of inner speech in verbal hallucination-prone individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Stephan-Otto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Núñez
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | | | - Susana Ochoa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carl Senior
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
- University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, UK.
| | - Gildas Brébion
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Lavalle R, Condominas E, Haro JM, Giné-Vázquez I, Bailon R, Laporta E, Garcia E, Kontaxis S, Alacid GR, Lombardini F, Preti A, Peñarrubia-Maria MT, Coromina M, Arranz B, Vilella E, Rubio-Alacid E, Matcham F, Lamers F, Hotopf M, Penninx BWJH, Annas P, Narayan V, Simblett SK, Siddi S. The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Adults with Major Depressive Disorder from Catalonia: A Decentralized Longitudinal Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:5161. [PMID: 36982069 PMCID: PMC10048808 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20065161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The present study analyzes the effects of each containment phase of the first COVID-19 wave on depression levels in a cohort of 121 adults with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) from Catalonia recruited from 1 November 2019, to 16 October 2020. This analysis is part of the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse-MDD (RADAR-MDD) study. Depression was evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and anxiety was evaluated with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Depression's levels were explored across the phases (pre-lockdown, lockdown, and four post-lockdown phases) according to the restrictions of Spanish/Catalan governments. Then, a mixed model was fitted to estimate how depression varied over the phases. A significant rise in depression severity was found during the lockdown and phase 0 (early post-lockdown), compared with the pre-lockdown. Those with low pre-lockdown depression experienced an increase in depression severity during the "new normality", while those with high pre-lockdown depression decreased compared with the pre-lockdown. These findings suggest that COVID-19 restrictions affected the depression level depending on their pre-lockdown depression severity. Individuals with low levels of depression are more reactive to external stimuli than those with more severe depression, so the lockdown may have worse detrimental effects on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Lavalle
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Condominas
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Haro
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Iago Giné-Vázquez
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Bailon
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el área de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Estela Laporta
- Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el área de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ester Garcia
- Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el área de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Microelectrónica y Sistemas Electrónicos, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Spyridon Kontaxis
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el área de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gemma Riquelme Alacid
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Federica Lombardini
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Preti
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Peñarrubia-Maria
- Health Technology Assessment in Primary Care and Mental Health (PRISMA) Research Group, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, 08830 St Boi de Llobregat, Spain
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Regió Metropolitana Sud, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Coromina
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Arranz
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisabet Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, 43206 Reus, Spain
- Neuriociències i Salut Mental, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili-CERCA, 43204 Reus, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43003 Reus, Spain
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Elena Rubio-Alacid
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Faith Matcham
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, East Sussex BN1 9QH, UK
| | - Femke Lamers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew Hotopf
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Brenda W. J. H. Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Vaibhav Narayan
- Research and Development Information Technology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ 08560, USA
| | - Sara K. Simblett
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sara Siddi
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08830 Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Matcham F, Carr E, White KM, Leightley D, Lamers F, Siddi S, Annas P, de Girolamo G, Haro JM, Horsfall M, Ivan A, Lavelle G, Li Q, Lombardini F, Mohr DC, Narayan VA, Penninx BWHJ, Oetzmann C, Coromina M, Simblett SK, Weyer J, Wykes T, Zorbas S, Brasen JC, Myin-Germeys I, Conde P, Dobson RJB, Folarin AA, Ranjan Y, Rashid Z, Cummins N, Dineley J, Vairavan S, Hotopf M. Predictors of engagement with remote sensing technologies for symptom measurement in Major Depressive Disorder. J Affect Disord 2022; 310:106-115. [PMID: 35525507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remote sensing for the measurement and management of long-term conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is becoming more prevalent. User-engagement is essential to yield any benefits. We tested three hypotheses examining associations between clinical characteristics, perceptions of remote sensing, and objective user engagement metrics. METHODS The Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse - Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study is a multicentre longitudinal observational cohort study in people with recurrent MDD. Participants wore a FitBit and completed app-based assessments every two weeks for a median of 18 months. Multivariable random effects regression models pooling data across timepoints were used to examine associations between variables. RESULTS A total of 547 participants (87.8% of the total sample) were included in the current analysis. Higher levels of anxiety were associated with lower levels of perceived technology ease of use; increased functional disability was associated with small differences in perceptions of technology usefulness and usability. Participants who reported higher system ease of use, usefulness, and acceptability subsequently completed more app-based questionnaires and tended to wear their FitBit activity tracker for longer. All effect sizes were small and unlikely to be of practical significance. LIMITATIONS Symptoms of depression, anxiety, functional disability, and perceptions of system usability are measured at the same time. These therefore represent cross-sectional associations rather than predictions of future perceptions. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that perceived usability and actual use of remote measurement technologies in people with MDD are robust across differences in severity of depression, anxiety, and functional impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Matcham
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - E Carr
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - K M White
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - D Leightley
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - F Lamers
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Siddi
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació San Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Annas
- H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | - G de Girolamo
- IRCCS Instituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - J M Haro
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació San Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Horsfall
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A Ivan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - G Lavelle
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Q Li
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - F Lombardini
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació San Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - D C Mohr
- Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - V A Narayan
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - B W H J Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - C Oetzmann
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - M Coromina
- Parc Sanitari Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - S K Simblett
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - J Weyer
- RADAR-CNS Patient Advisory Board
| | - T Wykes
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - S Zorbas
- RADAR-CNS Patient Advisory Board
| | | | - I Myin-Germeys
- Department for Neurosciences, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - P Conde
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - R J B Dobson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - A A Folarin
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Y Ranjan
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Z Rashid
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - N Cummins
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - J Dineley
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; EIHW - Chair of Embedded Intelligence for Health Care and Wellbeing, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - S Vairavan
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - M Hotopf
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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5
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Matcham F, Leightley D, Siddi S, Lamers F, White K, Annas P, De Girolamo G, Difrancesco S, Haro J, Horsfall M, Ivan A, Lavelle G, Li Q, Lombardini F, Mohr D, Narayan V, Oetzmann C, Penninx B, Simblett S, Bruce S, Nica R, Wykes T, Brasen J, Myin-Germeys I, Rintala A, Conde P, Dobson R, Folarin A, Stewart C, Ranjan Y, Rashid Z, Cummins N, Manyakov N, Vairavan S, Hotopf M. Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse in Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD): Recruitment, retention, and data availability in a longitudinal remote measurement study. Eur Psychiatry 2022. [PMCID: PMC9564033 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is prevalent, often chronic, and requires ongoing monitoring of symptoms to track response to treatment and identify early indicators of relapse. Remote Measurement Technologies (RMT) provide an exciting opportunity to transform the measurement and management of MDD, via data collected from inbuilt smartphone sensors and wearable devices alongside app-based questionnaires and tasks.
Objectives
To describe the amount of data collected during a multimodal longitudinal RMT study, in an MDD population.
Methods
RADAR-MDD is a multi-centre, prospective observational cohort study. People with a history of MDD were provided with a wrist-worn wearable, and several apps designed to: a) collect data from smartphone sensors; and b) deliver questionnaires, speech tasks and cognitive assessments and followed-up for a maximum of 2 years.
Results
A total of 623 individuals with a history of MDD were enrolled in the study with 80% completion rates for primary outcome assessments across all timepoints. 79.8% of people participated for the maximum amount of time available and 20.2% withdrew prematurely. Data availability across all RMT data types varied depending on the source of data and the participant-burden for each data type. We found no evidence of an association between the severity of depression symptoms at baseline and the availability of data. 110 participants had > 50% data available across all data types, and thus able to contribute to multiparametric analyses.
Conclusions
RADAR-MDD is the largest multimodal RMT study in the field of mental health. Here, we have shown that collecting RMT data from a clinical population is feasible.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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Villar-Cabeza F, Lombardini F, Sánchez-Fernández B, Vila-Grifoll M, Esnaola-Letemendia E, Vergé-Muñoz M, Navarro-Marfisis MC, Castellano-Tejedor C. Gender differences in adolescents with suicidal behaviour: Personality and psychopathology. rpcna 2022. [DOI: 10.21134/rpcna.2022.09.2.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study evaluates the relationship between gender, personality, psychopathology and suicidal behaviour among adolescents. For this purpose, across-sectional study with adolescent inpatients (N = 92) displaying suicidal behaviour was designed. Sociodemographic characteristics and data related to suicidal behaviour were collected. In addition, personality and clinical severity were assessed by administering the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). Results revealed that the most prevalent personality dimensions for both genders were Introversive, Self-demeaning, Doleful, Oppositional, Borderline tendency and Inhibited. However, men scored higher in Inhibited (p = 0.02, Cohen’s d = 0.45) and women in Egotistic(p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 0.40). Concerning clinical severity of syndromes, women scored higher in Delinquent Predisposition (p = 0.04, Cohen’s d = 0.45) and men in Anxious Feelings (p = 0.02, Cohen’s d = 0.51), Depressive Affect (p = 0.04, Cohen’s d = 0.41) and Suicidal Tendency (p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 0.37), with men reporting more frequently Childhood Abuse (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d= 0.70). Results highlight the importance of universal interventions to promote a change in attitudes towards seeking psychological help, specially in men, and the need to design effective tailored treatments to acquire emotional management skills for both genders
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Matcham F, Leightley D, Siddi S, Lamers F, White KM, Annas P, de Girolamo G, Difrancesco S, Haro JM, Horsfall M, Ivan A, Lavelle G, Li Q, Lombardini F, Mohr DC, Narayan VA, Oetzmann C, Penninx BWJH, Bruce S, Nica R, Simblett SK, Wykes T, Brasen JC, Myin-Germeys I, Rintala A, Conde P, Dobson RJB, Folarin AA, Stewart C, Ranjan Y, Rashid Z, Cummins N, Manyakov NV, Vairavan S, Hotopf M. Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse in Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD): recruitment, retention, and data availability in a longitudinal remote measurement study. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:136. [PMID: 35189842 PMCID: PMC8860359 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is prevalent, often chronic, and requires ongoing monitoring of symptoms to track response to treatment and identify early indicators of relapse. Remote Measurement Technologies (RMT) provide an opportunity to transform the measurement and management of MDD, via data collected from inbuilt smartphone sensors and wearable devices alongside app-based questionnaires and tasks. A key question for the field is the extent to which participants can adhere to research protocols and the completeness of data collected. We aimed to describe drop out and data completeness in a naturalistic multimodal longitudinal RMT study, in people with a history of recurrent MDD. We further aimed to determine whether those experiencing a depressive relapse at baseline contributed less complete data. METHODS Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse - Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) is a multi-centre, prospective observational cohort study conducted as part of the Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse - Central Nervous System (RADAR-CNS) program. People with a history of MDD were provided with a wrist-worn wearable device, and smartphone apps designed to: a) collect data from smartphone sensors; and b) deliver questionnaires, speech tasks, and cognitive assessments. Participants were followed-up for a minimum of 11 months and maximum of 24 months. RESULTS Individuals with a history of MDD (n = 623) were enrolled in the study,. We report 80% completion rates for primary outcome assessments across all follow-up timepoints. 79.8% of people participated for the maximum amount of time available and 20.2% withdrew prematurely. We found no evidence of an association between the severity of depression symptoms at baseline and the availability of data. In total, 110 participants had > 50% data available across all data types. CONCLUSIONS RADAR-MDD is the largest multimodal RMT study in the field of mental health. Here, we have shown that collecting RMT data from a clinical population is feasible. We found comparable levels of data availability in active and passive forms of data collection, demonstrating that both are feasible in this patient group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Matcham
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Daniel Leightley
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Sara Siddi
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Femke Lamers
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katie M. White
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Annas
- grid.424580.f0000 0004 0476 7612H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | - Giovanni de Girolamo
- grid.419422.8IRCCS Instituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Sonia Difrancesco
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josep Maria Haro
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melany Horsfall
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alina Ivan
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Grace Lavelle
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Qingqin Li
- grid.497530.c0000 0004 0389 4927Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ USA
| | - Federica Lombardini
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David C. Mohr
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Vaibhav A. Narayan
- grid.497530.c0000 0004 0389 4927Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ USA
| | - Carolin Oetzmann
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Brenda W. J. H. Penninx
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stuart Bruce
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764RADAR-CNS Patient Advisory Board, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Raluca Nica
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764RADAR-CNS Patient Advisory Board, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Sara K. Simblett
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Til Wykes
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Inez Myin-Germeys
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Department for Neurosciences, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Aki Rintala
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Department for Neurosciences, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.508322.eFaculty of Social and Health Care, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lahti, Finland
| | - Pauline Conde
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Richard J. B. Dobson
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Amos A. Folarin
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Callum Stewart
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Yatharth Ranjan
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Zulqarnain Rashid
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Nick Cummins
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Chair of Embedded Intelligence for Health Care and Wellbeing, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | | | - Srinivasan Vairavan
- grid.497530.c0000 0004 0389 4927Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ USA
| | - Matthew Hotopf
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Brébion G, Núñez C, Lombardini F, Senior C, Sánchez Laforga AM, Siddi S, Usall J, Stephan-Otto C. Subclinical depression and anxiety impact verbal memory functioning differently in men and women -an fMRI study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 140:308-315. [PMID: 34126425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive symptoms are known to affect memory efficiency in various populations. More specifically, several studies conducted in patients suffering from schizophrenia have indicated that memory efficiency is affected by depressed mood in female patients and by anxiety in male patients. We investigated, using neuroimaging techniques, whether similar gender-specific associations with subclinical depression and anxiety could be observed in a non-clinical sample. METHOD Forty-five healthy Spanish-speaking individuals (23 females) were administered a verbal memory task. Lists of high- and low-frequency words were presented. Immediate free recall was requested after the learning of each list, and a yes/no recognition task was completed during the acquisition of the fMRI data. RESULTS Regression analyses revealed that higher depression scores in women, and higher anxiety scores in men, were associated with poorer recall. In women, higher depression scores were further associated with decreased cerebral activity in the right temporoparietal junction, left inferior occipitotemporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, and left anterior cingulate during correct recognition of target words. In men, anxiety scores were not associated with any cerebral activity. CONCLUSIONS Subclinical depression in women appears to affect memory efficiency by impacting cerebral regions specifically recruited for the cognitive demands of the task, as well as cerebral regions more generally involved in arousal, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Anxiety in men might impact the encoding memory processes. The results, although preliminary, suggest that gender differences may need to be taken into account when developing strategies for the cognitive and pharmacological remediation of memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gildas Brébion
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Christian Núñez
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Carl Senior
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | | | - Sara Siddi
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Usall
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Stephan-Otto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Núñez C, Callén A, Lombardini F, Compta Y, Stephan-Otto C. Different Cortical Gyrification Patterns in Alzheimer's Disease and Impact on Memory Performance. Ann Neurol 2020; 88:67-80. [PMID: 32277502 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study of cortical gyrification in Alzheimer's disease (AD) could help to further understanding of the changes undergone in the brain during neurodegeneration. Here, we aimed to study brain gyrification differences between healthy controls (HC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and AD patients, and explore how cerebral gyrification patterns were associated with memory and other cognitive functions. METHODS We applied surface-based morphometry techniques in 2 large, independent cross-sectional samples, obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative project. Both samples, encompassing a total of 1,270 participants, were analyzed independently. RESULTS Unexpectedly, we found that AD patients presented a more gyrificated entorhinal cortex than HC. Conversely, the insular cortex of AD patients was hypogyrificated. A decrease in the gyrification of the insular cortex was also found in older HC participants as compared with younger HC, which argues against the specificity of this finding in AD. However, an increased degree of folding of the insular cortex was specifically associated with better memory function and semantic fluency, only in AD patients. Overall, MCI patients presented an intermediate gyrification pattern. All these findings were consistently observed in the two samples. INTERPRETATION The marked atrophy of the medial temporal lobe observed in AD patients may explain the increased folding of the entorhinal cortex. We additionally speculate regarding alternative mechanisms that may also alter its folding. The association between increased gyrification of the insular cortex and memory function, specifically observed in AD, could be suggestive of compensatory mechanisms to overcome the loss of memory function. ANN NEUROL 2020 ANN NEUROL 2020;88:67-80.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Núñez
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Callén
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Federica Lombardini
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaroslau Compta
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona & Maria de Maeztu Excellence Center Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED: CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christian Stephan-Otto
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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10
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Stephan-Otto C, Lombardini F, Núñez C, Senior C, Ochoa S, Usall J, Brébion G. Fluctuating asymmetry in patients with schizophrenia is related to hallucinations and thought disorganisation. Psychiatry Res 2020; 285:112816. [PMID: 32036154 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry represents the degree to which the right and left side of the body are asymmetrical, and is a sign of developmental instability. Higher levels of fluctuating asymmetry have been observed in individuals within the schizophrenia spectrum. We aimed to explore the associations of fluctuating asymmetry with psychotic and affective symptoms in schizophrenia patients, as well as with propensity to these symptoms in non-clinical individuals. A measure of morphological fluctuating asymmetry was calculated for 39 patients with schizophrenia and 60 healthy individuals, and a range of clinical and subclinical psychiatric symptoms was assessed. Regression analyses of the fluctuating asymmetry measure were conducted within each group. In the patient cohort, fluctuating asymmetry was significantly associated with the hallucination and thought disorganisation scores. T-test comparisons revealed that the patients presenting either hallucinations or thought disorganisation were significantly more asymmetrical than were the healthy individuals, while the patients without these key symptoms were equivalent to the healthy individuals. A positive association with the anxiety score emerged in a subsample of 36 healthy participants who were rated on affective symptoms. These findings suggest that fluctuating asymmetry may be an indicator of clinical hallucinations and thought disorganisation rather than an indicator of schizophrenia disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Stephan-Otto
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Christian Núñez
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Carl Senior
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; Research and Development Unit - Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, c/ Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 42, 08830 - Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Ochoa
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Usall
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Gildas Brébion
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
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Gessaroli M, Manfredi M, Lombardini F, Bassi M, Campobassi A. O9. Dental restoration of reconstructed mandible after wide resections for oral cancer: Beyond the fibular height deficiency by prosthodontics. Oral Oncol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2011.06.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Foschini MP, Cocchi R, Marucci G, Pennesi MG, Magrini E, Ligorio C, Lombardini F, Tosi AL, Marchetti C. High DeltaN p63 isoform expression favours recurrences in odontogenic keratocyst--odontogenic keratocystic tumour. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2006; 35:673-5. [PMID: 16687239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2006.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2006] [Revised: 02/20/2006] [Accepted: 02/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Galluzzo E, Lischi DM, Taglione E, Lombardini F, Pasero G, Perri G, Riente L. Sonographic analysis of the ankle in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 2000; 29:52-5. [PMID: 10722258 DOI: 10.1080/030097400750001806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Foot involvement is very frequent in patients affected by psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, evaluation of the painful foot can be problematic, because it is often difficult to distinguish between arthritis, tenosynovitis, and enthesopathy. Plain radiographs can show bone erosion or other features of joint involvement, but give little information about the soft tissues. We therefore studied foot involvement in 31 PsA patients using high resolution sonography, and compared the results with the findings on x-ray and clinical examination. Ultrasound revealed pathological findings in a large proportion of the patients, most of whom exhibited no clinical (pain or swelling) or radiological signs of foot involvement at the time of the study. Our data suggest that involvement of the tendons and entheses may be more frequent in PsA patients than has thus far been supposed, even in cases of not particularly aggressive disease, and that clinical evaluation tends to underestimate these manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Galluzzo
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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14
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Taglione E, Vatteroni ML, Martini P, Galluzzo E, Lombardini F, Delle Sedie A, Bendinelli M, Pasero G, Bencivelli W, Riente L. Hepatitis C virus infection: prevalence in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. J Rheumatol 1999; 26:370-2. [PMID: 9972971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2 groups of patients, one group with psoriasis and the other with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS We detected anti-HCV antibodies by ELISA and by a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) in the sera of 50 patients with psoriasis and 50 with PsA. As controls we used a group of 76 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and referred to data on the prevalence of HCV in the general Italian population. RESULTS By ELISA, anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 6/50 (12%) patients with PsA, in 5/50 (10%) patients with psoriasis, and in 4/76 (5.2%) patients with RA. All the reactive PsA and RA sera also tested positive on RIBA, while only 3 of the 5 positive results for sera of patients with psoriasis were confirmed by RIBA. The prevalence of HCV infection in patients with psoriasis was not significantly higher than in controls. In contrast, the rate of HCV infection observed in the 50 patients with PsA was higher than that in the other groups, the difference being statistically significant between patients with PsA and the general population. CONCLUSION Our data do not support the hypothesis that HCV infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. On the other hand they show a statistically significant difference between the prevalence of HCV infection in patients with PsA and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Taglione
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Pisa, Italy
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Longombardo G, Ferri C, Marchi S, Costa F, Lombardini F, Vacri L, Bombardieri S, Migliorini P. Immune response to an epitope of the NS4 protein of hepatitis C virus in HCV-related disorders. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 1998; 87:124-9. [PMID: 9614926 DOI: 10.1006/clin.1997.4498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
NS4, a nonstructural protein of HCV, is a frequent target of antibodies in infected subjects. According to recent data, the antibodies frequently recognize the sequence 1921-40 of the NS4 protein. The aim of this work was to analyze antibody reactivity with the sequence 1921-40 in different HCV-related disorders. Although this sequence is located in a relatively invariant region of viral genome, two strain-specific sequences are described. Thus, three NS4 1921-1940 peptides were synthesized: the BK shared by most viral strains, the J6 (strain 2a), and the J8 (strain 2b). The peptides were used as antigens in the solid phase for measuring serum IgG antibodies in an ELISA assay. Antibodies reactive with the 1921-40 BK peptide were detected in 64% of sera from patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 51% from chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and 22% from mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). The frequency of positive sera in MC was significatively lower than in AIH (P < 0.0001) or CHC (P < 0.0021). Similar results were obtained with the J6 and J8 peptides. All sera that did not react with the BK peptide were negative on J6 and J8 and conversely most sera reacting with the BK peptide also bound the J6 and the J8 peptides. No correlation was found between the genotype of the infecting virus and the presence of antibodies to any of the NS4 peptides. These results indicate that many HCV-infected subjects produce antibodies to the NS4 sequence 1921-40. The immune response to this sequence is not strain specific and varies with the different disorders associated with HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Longombardo
- Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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Ferri C, La Civita L, Fazzi P, Solfanelli S, Lombardini F, Begliomini E, Monti M, Longombardo G, Pasero G, Zignego AL. Interstitial lung fibrosis and rheumatic disorders in patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Br J Rheumatol 1997; 36:360-5. [PMID: 9133969 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/36.3.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A possible aetiopathogenetic role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported in various immune-mediated disorders, such as mixed cryoglobulinaemia, which may be complicated by interstitial lung involvement; moreover, different viruses, including HCV, have been correlated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Here, a cohort of eight HCV-positive patients (M/F = 4/4, mean age 61 +/- 8 S.D. yr) with interstitial lung fibrosis and a variable number of rheumatic disorders are described. Interstitial lung involvement appeared medially 4.5 +/- 3.2 S.D. yr after the clinical onset of chronic hepatitis. During the clinical follow-up, some rheumatic symptoms were also recorded: articular involvement (four patients): mild sicca syndrome (one patient); severe polymyositis and cranial neuropathy (one patient); serum cryoglobulins and/or autoantibodies (eight patients). In all patients, a moderate (four patients) or severe (four patients) lung fibrosis was evaluated by means of high-resolution computed tomography. The presence of parenchymal radiotracer uptake on 67Ga scan (7/7 patients) and increased percentages of neutrophils (4/4 patients) and lymphocytes (2/4) at bronchoalveolar lavage suggested an active lung involvement. Different degrees of reduction of single breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) (mean value 57.6 +/- 15%, range 37-80) were observed in all cases, while spirometric abnormalities, consistent with a global restrictive pattern, were less frequently found. In all cases, anti-HCV antibodies and HCV viraemia were demonstrated: viral genome was also detected in peripheral lymphocytes from 4/4 subjects and in one case in lung biopsy specimens. A desquamative interstitial pneumonia pattern was demonstrated in two cases by lung biopsy. The present work supports the hypothesis that HCV chronic infection could represent a trigger factor for interstitial lung fibrosis and various rheumatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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17
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Ferri C, Lo Jacono F, Monti M, Caracciolo F, La Civita L, Barsanti LA, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Careccia G, Zignego AL. Lymphotropic virus infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Acta Haematol 1997; 98:89-94. [PMID: 9286305 DOI: 10.1159/000203597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Some lymphotropic viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) have been proposed as causative agents of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). More recently, the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is both a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus, has been reported in one third of B cell NHL patients. The aim of this study was to investigate in a series of B cell NHL the prevalence of three lymphotropic viruses, i.e. EBV, HHV-6 and HCV, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Eighteen unselected B cell NHL patients (10 men, 8 women; mean age 62 +/- 12 years, range 31-77 years; mean disease duration 1.8 +/- 1.4 years) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. In all cases, an acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome-related lymphoma was excluded. By means of the polymerase chain reaction technique, EBV DNA, HHV-6 DNA and HCV RNA were detected in PBMC. HCV genomic sequences were significantly more frequent in PBMC of NHL patients than in controls (33 vs. 2.5%; p < 0.01); on the other hand, in the same two groups EBV DNA (39 vs. 60%; p = not significant) and HHV-6 DNA (22 vs. 32%; p = not significant) were present in a comparable percentage of individuals in the same two groups. The infection of PBMC by HCV alone was present in the majority (5 of 6) of HCV-positive NHL. These data support the implication of HCV infection in a statistically significant number of B cell NHL, whereas a possible co-operation between HCV and other well-known lymphotropic viruses seems to be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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18
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Lombardini F, Taglione E, Riente L, Pasero G. Psoriatic arthritis with spinal involvement in a patient receiving alpha-interferon for chronic hepatitis C. Scand J Rheumatol 1997; 26:58-60. [PMID: 9057804 DOI: 10.3109/03009749709065666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A 26-year-old male patient being treated with alpha-interferon for chronic hepatitis C developed psoriasis, seronegative oligoarthritis and sacroiliitis after four months. The close temporal relationship between the alpha-interferon therapy and the onset of skin and articular lesions strongly suggests that the drug played a role in the induction of the disease despite the absence of HLA antigens related to psoriatic arthritis. We cannot exclude the possibility that immunological alterations associated with HCV infection could have constituted a predisposing factor in the onset of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Lombardini
- Istituto di Patologia Medica, University of Pisa, Italy
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19
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La Civita L, Zignego AL, Lombardini F, Monti M, Longombardo G, Pasero G, Ferri C. Exacerbation of peripheral neuropathy during alpha-interferon therapy in a patient with mixed cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis B virus infection. J Rheumatol 1996; 23:1641-3. [PMID: 8877939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
An association between hepatotropic viruses, chiefly hepatitis C virus (HCV), occasionally hepatitis B virus (HBV), and mixed cryoglobulinemia has been widely reported. Alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) has usefully been employed in the treatment of mixed cryoglobulinemia, particularly for liver and renal involvement. IFN-alpha treatment may be associated with neurological complications, including peripheral neuropathy. We describe an HBV positive patient with mixed cryoglobulinemia with recurrent purpura, mild sensory peripheral neuropathy, and active hepatitis treated with IFN-alpha. Rapid improvement of the purpura, liver enzymes, and cryocrit, and disappearance of serum HBV DNA were observed after a 4 week treatment period. However, concomitant worsening of the neuropathy prompted us to discontinue IFN-alpha. Although in this case, a positive effect of IFN-alpha on the clinico-serological and virological variables was confirmed, due to the possible exacerbation of neurological manifestations, a careful patient evaluation is necessary before starting IFN-alpha in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- L La Civita
- Istituto di Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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20
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Ferri C, La Civita L, Monti M, Giannini C, Cecchetti R, Caracciolo F, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Zignego AL. Chronic hepatitis C and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. QJM 1996; 89:117-22. [PMID: 8729552 DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/89.2.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus, is the major causative agent of nonA-nonB chronic hepatitis; moreover, it is frequently associated with benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders such as mixed cryoglobulinaemia and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We investigated the clinical and virological features of B-cell NHL complicating chronic hepatitis C in a series of 10 patients (M/F 1/9; mean age 63 +/- 6SD years). The malignancy appeared after median 8 +/- 4SD years from onset and was low-grade in six patients, intermediate in three, and high-grade in one. 'One-tube nested' PCR detected serum HCV RNA and viral ongoing replication in both fresh and cultured peripheral lymphocytes in all ten. Analysis of HCV genotypes showed a relatively higher prevalence of 2a/III type compared with unselected chronic hepatitis C (50% vs. 15%). In one patient, HCV RNA was also found in the neoplastic bone marrow and lymph-node specimens. B-cell NHL can complicate chronic hepatitis C and affect the overall prognosis of the disease. The increasing frequency of chronic hepatitis C worldwide suggests that the actual prevalence of this complication may be underestimated. Careful clinical work-up at diagnosis and during follow-up is particularly recommendable.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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21
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Zignego AL, Ferri C, Giannini C, Monti M, La Civita L, Careccia G, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Bombardieri S, Gentilini P. Hepatitis C virus genotype analysis in patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia. Ann Intern Med 1996; 124:31-4. [PMID: 7503475 DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-1_part_1-199601010-00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible role of HCV variants in the pathogenesis of mixed cryoglobulinemia. SETTING Medical service (rheumatology and hepatology units) of urban, university-affiliated teaching hospitals. DESIGN Analysis of viral genotypes in a cohort of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and mixed cryoglobulinemia. PATIENTS 90 unselected HCV-positive (anti-HCV antibody-positive and HCV RNA-positive) patients consecutively recruited at routine ambulatory visits: 29 with and 61 without (control group) mixed cryoglobulinemia. MEASUREMENTS Clinical and histologic data; HCV RNA detection in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells by polymerase chain reaction (PCR); HCV genotype determination by two methods based on genotype-specific primer PCR and genotype-specific probe hybridization, respectively. RESULTS Persistent aminotransferase increases were found in 55% of patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were infected in 80% of cases. In serum samples, HCV genotype 2a/III was detected with a higher prevalence in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia than in controls (41% compared with 15%). The overall prevalence of genotype 2a/III in mixed cryoglobulinemia increased to 52% when findings in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were also considered. Among patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia, this genotype was more frequent in those without clinical and biochemical signs of liver disease (85%) or with serum autoantibodies (75%). CONCLUSIONS Mixed cryoglobulinemia may be related, at least in part, to the HCV genotype infecting the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Zignego
- Istituto di Medicina Interna, University of Florence, Italy
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22
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Ferri C, La Civita L, Zignego AL, Lombardini F, Longombardo G, Gentilini P, Pasero G. Hepatocellular carcinoma in mixed cryoglobulinemia patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1996; 14:111-2. [PMID: 8697651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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23
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Ferri C, Zignego AL, Bombardieri S, La Civita L, Longombardo G, Monti M, Lombardini F, Greco F, Pasero G. Etiopathogenetic role of hepatitis C virus in mixed cryoglobulinemia, chronic liver diseases and lymphomas. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1995; 13 Suppl 13:S135-40. [PMID: 8730494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been found in the majority of patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) in studies conducted in different countries. In our series of 110 MC patients the frequency of HCV markers was significantly high (91%) compared with other rheumatic diseases (6.4%) and with healthy Italian controls (1.2%). Moreover, HCV RNA was detected in 81% of the peripheral lymphocytes from MC patients. Comparable percentages of HCV infection were detectable in other disorders, i.e. porphyria cutanea tarda (77%) and autoimmune hepatitis type 1 (77%). The HCV infection of peripheral lymphocytes suggests that this virus could be the triggering factor for the lymphoproliferation underlying MC. In a number of patients with MC the evolution from a benign lymphoproliferation to frank B-cell lymphoma was observed. In these subjects HCV RNA in the sera and in fresh and cultured peripheral lymphocytes was constantly detected. The same phenomenon has been observed in patients with long-lasting type C chronic hepatitis. Interestingly, HCV infection has also been recorded in 32% of idiopathic B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Taken together, the above findings suggest that HCV can cause benign B-cell proliferation with the consequent production of various autoantibodies, including rheumatoid factor and mixed cryoglobulins. These serological abnormalities characterise different clinical disorders, including the appearance of lymphoma in a not negligible number of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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24
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Tavoni A, Mosca M, Ferri C, Moriconi L, La Civita L, Lombardini F, Bombardieri S. Guidelines for the management of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1995; 13 Suppl 13:S191-5. [PMID: 8730505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The principal therapeutic procedures and when they are clinically indicated in the management of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) have been the subject of much debate. This paper reviews current knowledge and our experience in the treatment of this complex disease. It is generally agreed that patients with purpura, the primary symptom of EMC, should avoid long periods of sitting or standing in the same position. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs can be used for the management of arthralgias and/ or arthritis. Low dose steroids (0.5-0.3 mg/kg/die) are usually sufficient to control the purpura, arthralgias, arthritis and weakness, while larger doses (0.5-1.5 mg/kg/die) are needed to treat the renal involvement, peripheral neuropathy and serositis. Since the discovery of the association between EMC and viral infections, the appropriateness of cytotoxic drugs has been re-evaluated and they are no longer used. With the low antigen content diet, a regimen designed to restore a saturated mononuclear phagocytic system, good results have been obtained in the treatment of purpura, arthralgias, weakness and peripheral neuropathy. Furthermore, this dietary regimen may play a steroid sparing role. Plasma exchange is widely used in the management of severe renal involvement, hyperviscosity syndrome, sensory motor neuropathy and liver involvement in EMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tavoni
- Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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25
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Berrettini S, Ferri C, La Civita L, Segnini G, Lombardini F, Bruschini P, Longombardo G, Sellari-Franceschini S. Inner ear involvement in mixed cryoglobulinaemia patients. Br J Rheumatol 1995; 34:370-4. [PMID: 7788154 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/34.4.370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In order to evaluate the nature and prevalence of audiovestibular disturbances in mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC), 32 consecutive MC patients were studied by a wide audiological and vestibular examination. Pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, brainstem response audiometry and vestibular function were performed. Patients with a previous history of ear damage due to other well-known agents were excluded from the study. In MC patients we found a rather frequent audiovestibular involvement (34.3%). Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was found in seven MC patients (22%) and altered vestibular function test values in other seven subjects (22%). Moreover, anamnestic and clinical data revealed a high incidence of benign positional paroxysmal vertigo in our MC series. We can suppose that immune complex-mediated microvascular involvement of the labyrinthine vessels may be responsible for inner ear damage in MC. Thus, audiovestibular disturbances may be included among various organ involvement of the MC.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Berrettini
- Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department, University of Pisa, Italy
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26
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Ferri C, Monti M, La Civita L, Careccia G, Mazzaro C, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Greco F, Pasero G, Bombardieri S. Hepatitis C virus infection in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma complicating mixed cryoglobulinaemia. Eur J Clin Invest 1994; 24:781-4. [PMID: 7534236 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1994.tb01077.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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27
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Ferri C, Caracciolo F, Zignego AL, La Civita L, Monti M, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Greco F, Capochiani E, Mazzoni A. Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Br J Haematol 1994; 88:392-4. [PMID: 7803287 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1994.tb05036.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 317] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is both a hepatotropic and a lymphotropic virus, has been proposed as a possible causative agent of mixed cryoglobulinaemia. This 'benign' lymphoproliferative disorder can switch over to a malignant B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Therefore HCV infection has been investigated in a series of 50 unselected Italian patients with B-cell NHL. Antibodies against HCV were found in 30% of NHL and HCV viraemia in 32% of cases. HCV-related markers were detected in 34% (17/50) of our NHL patients; this prevalence is particularly significant when compared with HCV seropositivity in Hodgkin's lymphoma (3%) and healthy controls (1.3%).
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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28
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Ferri C, Longombardo G, La Civita L, Greco F, Lombardini F, Cecchetti R, Cagianelli MA, Marchi S, Monti M, Zignego AL. Hepatitis C virus chronic infection as a common cause of mixed cryoglobulinaemia and autoimmune liver disease. J Intern Med 1994; 236:31-6. [PMID: 8021570 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.1994.tb01116.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) and autoimmune chronic hepatitis (AI-CH) are frequently associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection. Because HCV represents a possible common aetiological factor, the aim of the present study is to investigate the clinico-serological alterations of both MC and AI-CH and to verify a possible overlap between these disorders. SETTING Patients from three tertiary referral centres. SUBJECTS Two Italian series of 88 MC patients and 30 AI-CH type 1 were studied. RESULTS MC and AI-CH share several clinico-serological features. The patients' mean age (MC vs. AI-CH: 60 +/- 9 vs. 57 +/- 13 years), disease duration (10.5 +/- 5 vs. 9.6 +/- 6 years), and female/male ratio (3.4 vs. 3.3) were very similar in the two series. Typical hallmarks of MC, i.e. purpura, arthralgias, and weakness, circulating mixed cryoglobulins with rheumatoid factor activity, and hypocomplementemia were also recorded in a significant number of AI-CH patients. Similarly, chronic active hepatitis was found in 68% of MC patients and its histological and serological alterations were comparable with those of AI-CH; moreover, amongst various autoantibodies, antinuclear antibodies and/or anti-smooth-muscle antibodies were detected in half of the cases of MC. Anti-HCV antibodies, detected by second-generation Chiron ELISA and RIBA, were present in a high percentage of both MC and AI-CH (94 vs. 80%), and frequently associated with HCV viraemia (86 vs. 77%). Finally, anti-GOR, the HCV-related autoantibodies, were found in half cases of MC and AI-CH. CONCLUSIONS On the whole, these data suggest that HCV in combination with other infectious and environmental and genetic factors can trigger a complex immunological disorder with different clinical patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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29
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Perbellini L, Maranelli G, Lombardini F, Gandini G, Brugnone F. Carbon disulfide in blood: a method for storing and analysing samples. Med Lav 1994; 85:171-8. [PMID: 8072446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of free and acid-labile carbon disulfide in human blood were determined by gas chromatography mass-spectrometry. Carbon disulfide was measured in the blood of 62 subjects not occupationally exposed to the solvent, and in 27 subjects treated with disulfiram (which is partially biotransformed into carbon disulfide). In blood, a small part of carbon disulfide is free (it can be analysed without any blood treatment); most carbon disulfide is bound ("acid labile" carbon disulfide), and requires acid hydrolysis to become free and detectable. During the first phase of our study, stored samples of blood (storage at 4 degrees C for 15-40 days) were used. Later, we analysed fresh blood samples. A significant decrease in carbon disulfide was found in stored samples in comparison to fresh samples. During storage, free and acid-labile carbon disulfide in blood decreased respectively to 26% and 27% of the initial concentration within a month. In fresh samples, free carbon disulfide concentrations in blood showed a median of 139 ng/l in normal subjects. Acid-labile carbon disulfide concentrations were much higher (median 2743 ng/l). Free and acid-labile carbon disulfide in blood were closely correlated (r = 0.9358). Blood samples stored at -80 degrees C maintained a constant concentration of carbon disulfide over almost three weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Perbellini
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, University of Verona, Policlinico Borgo Roma, Italy
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30
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Ferri C, La Civita L, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Pasero G, Zignego AL, Monti M, Mazzaro C, Greco F, Mazzoni A. Hepatitis C virus in mixed cryoglobulinemia and B cell lymphoma. Clin Exp Rheumatol 1994; 12:89-90. [PMID: 8162649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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31
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Ferri C, Zignego AL, Longombardo G, Monti M, La Civita L, Lombardini F, Greco F, Mazzoni A, Pasero G, Gentilini P. Effect of alpha-interferon on hepatitis C virus chronic infection in mixed cryoglobulinemia patients. Infection 1993; 21:93-7. [PMID: 7684029 DOI: 10.1007/bf01710739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Since a striking association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and mixed cryoglobulinemia has been demonstrated, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) on HCV viraemia and clinico-serological manifestations of 15 patients (ten female and five male, mean [+/- SD] age 53 +/- 7 years). In 14/15 patients pre-study steroid dosage remained unchanged during treatment. alpha-IFN was administered at a dose of 2 x 10(6) IU daily for a month, then every other day for five months. On the whole, a statistically significant improvement of purpura (p < 0.001), serum transaminases (p < 0.001), and cryocrit (p < 0.01) was observed after alpha-IFN treatment. HCV viraemia was detected by polymerase chain reaction technique in 13/15 patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia and anti-GOR antibodies, expression of HCV-related autoimmunity, were present in 8/15. After alpha-IFN treatment, HCV RNA levels showed a clear-cut reduction in five persons and disappeared in another, while anti-HCV antibodies (Chiron ELISA and RIBA II) did not change after the six-month period of therapy. These data further support the possible etiopathogenetic role of HCV in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia and suggest that alpha-IFN may be regarded as the elective treatment in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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32
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Ferri C, Marzo E, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, La Civita L, Vanacore R, Liberati AM, Gerli R, Greco F, Moretti A, Monti M, Gentilini P, Bombardieri S, Zignego AL. Interferon-alpha in mixed cryoglobulinemia patients: a randomized, crossover-controlled trial. Blood 1993; 81:1132-6. [PMID: 8382969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) on clinical and serologic manifestations of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) were investigated by randomized, crossover-controlled trial in 26 patients. The trial alternated 6 months with and 6 months without IFN-alpha therapy (2 x 10(6) IU daily for a month, then every other day for 5 months). In 22 patients, pretreatment steroid dosage remained unchanged during the study. Six patients dropped out (three because of side effects), whereas another 20 patients experienced a significant improvement of purpura (P < .02) and serum transaminases (P < .005) during IFN-alpha treatment. The presence of clinical improvement was supported by the outcome measurements of several immunologic parameters. In particular, serum cryoglobulins were significantly reduced (P < .04) during IFN-alpha therapy. A rebound phenomenon of clinical and serologic parameters was observed after IFN-alpha discontinuation. In addition, no variations were recorded during 6 months without therapy. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was detected in 91% (20/22) of our MC patients; in 2/13 cases HCV RNA was no longer detectable in serum samples after IFN-alpha therapy. Thus, IFN-alpha could be considered as treatment for MC in patients with HCV seropositivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy
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33
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Pasquariello A, Ferri C, Moriconi L, La Civita L, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Greco F, Zignego AL. Cryoglobulinemic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis C virus. Am J Nephrol 1993; 13:300-4. [PMID: 7505528 DOI: 10.1159/000168641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
A striking association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) has been reported by various authors, regardless of the presence of chronic hepatitis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of HCV-related markers in cryoglobulinemic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) which is one of the most severe complications of MC. Antibodies against HCV have been detected by second-generation Chiron ELISA and RIBA in 26/26 (100%) cryoglobulinemic MPGN. In addition, serum HCV RNA, expression of the ongoing viral replication, was present in 7/7 patients by the polymerase chain reaction technique. The high percentage of anti-HCV seropositivity suggests that this virus may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this immunemediated glomerulonephritis.
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Ferri C, Marzo E, Longombardo G, La Civita L, Lombardini F, Giuggioli D, Vanacore R, Liberati AM, Mazzoni A, Greco F. Interferon alfa-2b in mixed cryoglobulinaemia: a controlled crossover trial. Gut 1993; 34:S144-5. [PMID: 8314485 PMCID: PMC1374045 DOI: 10.1136/gut.34.2_suppl.s144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
To confirm the positive results of a preliminary trial, 26 patients with mixed cryoglobulinaemia were enrolled in a controlled, randomised, crossover trial with interferon alfa-2b. A significant improvement was seen in the purpura score and alanine aminotransferase activities during six months' treatment, and was associated with a significant decrease in cryocrit and a returning to normal of the lymphocyte CD4/CD8 ratio (in eight of nine patients). No significant variations were seen during the six month period without interferon. Only six patients withdrew from treatment, three because of side effects and three because of poor compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ferri
- Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy
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Brugnone F, Perbellini L, Maranelli G, Romeo L, Guglielmi G, Lombardini F. Reference values for blood benzene in the occupationally unexposed general population. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1992; 64:179-84. [PMID: 1399030 DOI: 10.1007/bf00380906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Blood benzene was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in 431 "normal" subjects, subdivided into 155 rural subjects and 276 urban subjects. Blood benzene (mean value 262 ng/l) was significantly lower in rural (200 ng/l) than in urban (296 ng/l) workers, as well as differing significantly between 293 non-smokers and 138 smokers (205 ng/l and 381 ng/l, respectively). Among non-smokers, values were significantly higher (307 ng/l) in 76 chemical workers. In the total study population, in 95% of cases blood benzene was less than 718 ng/l, the 95th percentile being 514 ng/l in non-smokers vs 901 ng/l in smokers and 576 ng/l in rural vs 822 ng/l in urban subjects. Within each population subgroup, the difference between non-smokers and smokers was statistically significant, except among office workers (non-smokers 234 ng/l, smokers 304 ng/l). Blood benzene (y) was directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked (x) (y = 201 + 12x; r = 0.44; n = 431), and inversely proportional to the interval between the last cigarette and the time at which the blood samples was taken (z) (log y = 6.167-0.0015z; r = -0.461; n = 135). The blood half-life of benzene was about 8h. The multiple correlation between blood benzene (Cb), number of cigarettes per day (x) and time since the last cigarette (z) is: Cb = 417 + 7.2x - 0.41z (n = 135; R = 0.20; P less than 0.00001).
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Affiliation(s)
- F Brugnone
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, University of Verona, Italy
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Ferri C, Marzo E, Longombardo G, Lombardini F, Greco F, Bombardieri S. Alpha interferon in the treatment of mixed cryoglobulinaemia patients. Eur J Cancer 1991; 27 Suppl 4:S81-2. [PMID: 1799489 DOI: 10.1016/0277-5379(91)90583-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Abstract
Two very virulent strains of Marek's disease virus were isolated from two separate farms in northern Italy that had experienced outbreaks of Marek's disease in vaccinated flocks. The isolates were similar to very virulent strains reported in the USA in terms of their enhanced pathogenicity, both for chickens vaccinated with the herpesvirus of turkeys, and for genetically resistant chickens. This first description of very virulent strains of Marek's disease virus from outside the USA suggests that at least some of the increasingly frequent disease outbreaks reported in Europe may be associated with such strains and that the adoption of bivalent or polyvalent vaccines containing, for example, attenuated Marek's disease virus plus herpesvirus of turkeys may be beneficial in the field.
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